In the construction arts there are known a wide variety of connector elements which are used to anchor structural members with respect to one another. Although available in many configurations for a variety of specialized purposes, perhaps the most common such connector element is the so-called plate nail or gang nail device. This typically is an essentially flat, usually rectangular metal plate having a number of die punched, integrally formed nail prongs extending transversely to one side of the plate. Such gang nail plates are commonly used, for example, in the construction of wood trusses for residential construction. Two such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,667,337 and 3,899,803.
Among other specialized devices for use in construction are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,218,426, 3,736,714, 2,606,350, 5,794,334, 4,508,319, 4,716,632. The first two of these patents disclose systems in which members are engaged by relative rotation of one member with respect to another.
The present invention pertains to an anchor device for anchoring thereof with respect to a structural member. In its preferred form, the invention comprises a rigid, circular, plate-like base member having fixed to one side thereof a generally radially extending channel formed by a pair of transversely extending, upstanding sidewalls. Each of the sidewalls forms an angle having its apex located adjacent to the center of the base member such that the confronting sidewalls diverge from one another, from their respective apexes toward the outer perimeter of the base member.
The channel formed between the two spaced sidewalls is wide enough to receive an elongated structural member, a 2xc3x974 stud for example, and the diverging sidewalls provide freedom to rotate the anchor apparatus with respect to the structural member, within the limits defined by the sidewalls. At least one of the sidewalls includes nail prong elements extending therefrom into the channel formed between the sidewalls such that, in one rotational position of a structural member received therein, the prongs penetrate the structural member to anchor the novel anchor to the structural member.
The disclosed anchor device provides for improved efficiency and ease of use and can offer enhanced structural integrity for the structures in which it is used.
It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a novel and improved structural anchor device.
Another object of the invention is to provide a structural anchor device which is engaged with a structural member by rotation of the anchor device with respect to the structural member.